Geodon symptoms and conditions

SINGULAIR'S LABEL HAS BEEN UPDATED:

The following has been added to the "Precautions" section of Singulair's label:

"Neuropsychiatric Events
Neuropsychiatric events have been reported in adult, adolescent, and pediatric patients taking SINGULAIR. Post-marketing reports with SINGULAIR use include agitation, aggressive behavior or hostility, anxiousness, depression, dream abnormalities, hallucinations, insomnia, irritability, restlessness, somnambulism, suicidal thinking and behavior (including suicide), and tremor. The clinical details of some post-marketing reports involving SINGULAIR appear consistent with a drug-induced effect.

Patients and prescribes should be alert for neuropsychiatric events. Patients should be instructed to notify their prescribe if these changes occur. Prescribes should carefully evaluate the risks and benefits of continuing treatment with SINGULAIR if such events occur (see ADVERSE REACTIONS, Post- Marketing Experience)."

Lithium Carbonate nearly killed me. My doctor knew I was bulimic and he prescribed it any way, in combination with Geodon and Lamictal, even though I've been medication intolerant of 34 psychiatric drugs since I was 15. I am now 23. One year ago my boyfriend said he didn't like how I was changing in personality, that I was "different". I couldn't conceive his perspective. After only 2 weeks exactly of taking the Lithium at 900mg a day, I landed in the ICU where I was fighting for my life for 5 days. I had what looked like seizures but they were not. I had a dystonic reaction to the drug. It all began with a hand tremor on my left side. Ever since then, I get "episodes" where my ENTIRE right side goes dead and my left side extremities jerk and twitch and it hurts like hell. My neck snaps to the left and my lungs freeze long enough to where my lips turn blue. I live back home now. I cannot live alone. These episodes come out of nowhere. I have not been the same since that April Fool's day (how ironic right?)...I am to go to Johns Hopkins to find out what happened. They believe it may be a drug induced movement disorder. I also lose speech during these episodes or at random on its own while in class or talking with a friend. It's scaring the living hell out of me. To think that my central nervous system very well may have been POISONED makes me sick to my stomach...this doctor was reckless and used me as a lab rat. And now I pay the price. He went to med school at age 17 and did 4 years brain research on monkeys post graduation....I trusted him...if HE could do this to me, imagine what a D.O. or typical M.D. with little training could do with this toxic stuff?! I almost died. And I fear that I eventually will...The symptoms of muscle spasms and cognitive impairment have only worsened. I get annoyed with outer stimuli very easily at times, followed by hours of confusion and I cannot understand what people are saying to me nor can I finish a thought or even identify an object (nominal aphasia). If you ask me, stay AWAY from this unnatural form of help, you're better off with homeopathic medicine and breathing techniques. I learned the hard way. I just hope this helps at least one of you from starting this horrible drug. It can have PERMANENT side effects on WHO you ARE, i.e. your personality. My perception of reality has forever changed and I cannot go back. Do your research. And REALLY think about the risks before you begin taking this drug....or any of them for that matter....
On youtube you should watch this eye opening documentary that my friend found for me about big pharma. It's...jaw dropping. search "big pharma big bucks" on youtube.com and you will see what I mean.
Hope this helps. I will post the outcome of a final diagnosis, because as of right now, I cannot go to the ER when these episodes occur because they AUTOMATICALLY assume it's "in my head" simply because of a history of depression and PTSD. So all they do is give me NO pain meds for the muscle pain or even any tests ordered to find an answer, and call for a psych consult...HELLO?! talk about breaking the Hippocratic oath "FIRST do no harm". I'm a responsible, smart, and determined young woman who's been in in-patient treatment before and is very aware on how to handle my day to day strives. But these doctors...sigh....they just don't listen...it's ALL about liability for them. And it angers me. So I wait at home crying because I can't talk to anyone, in agonizing pain, and await for the moment my lung muscles freeze and I cannot breathe...it frightens me to my very core. NO ONE should have to go through with this...NO ONE. So, do your homework. Please. For you and your loved one's sake.
-H.

I was on 80mg of Geodon for about 1 year. I started having uncontrolled eye and neck movements. I was taken off the drug. However, I've been left with the side effect of Dystonia. I have no control over my neck muscles, my head is in the backwards and to the left position. Trying to move my neck to the right is very painful. I have to get botox injections every 3 months in my eyes and neck. The shots stop the movement for a few weeks but do nothing for the positioning of my neck as the shots weeken the muscles. I've been told I will have this the rest of my life and the only other treatment would include brain surgery. I am in pain on a daily basis, and when upset or in public the movements are greater which only causes anxiety.

Wow so this really helped me out today. I have been having issues with my bipolar that started acting up this summer. I had become and stayed manic. Im used to not really having major symptoms and dealing with the depressive side. The mania didn't last very long at all. Well I just went through a huge ordeal and just started meds for the bipolar . They put me on Geodon worst mistake ever. Well here I am been reading up on that and bipolar and all that mess. I just so happen to see Nuvaring info and it just dawned on me I have been on this ring oh since the start of summer. Duh. Well come mid to late summer. I am noticing more and more manic symptoms and episodes. Took myself to a doc in the past month or so and said hey i have been manic for a while, lets get to the bottom of this. Put me on Geodon...which am now off. I hadn't taken any meds in almost 2 years previously. I am so glad I just read the little info on here and come to a conclusion that perhaps the Nuvaring is causing or at least increasing the mania. So I went to NuvaRing's web site nothing talking about Bipolar and such with the ring. So if anyone could direct me to any sites that talk about bipolar and the ring and other hormonal bc, please lead me to them. Thank you so much

I was taking 40mg of geodon twice a day. The doctor is weaning me off.
So, he said to stop taking my evening dose. Well, I did for two nights and couldn't sleep. I was really jumpy, leg spasms, couldn't sleep, hot and cold flashes, trembling,nausea. It was like having the flu really bad. I also had a couple brain zaps. I wish I never would have started geodon. It's awful.

It was like a really bad acid trip for me. I was seeing tracers, visual hallucinations and couldn't be touched. That was after only one dose. My doctor switched me to Geodon the next day.

I was on a maximum of 900 mg's a day and my last dosage was at 300 mg's a day. Lithium was great for me in the winter when my depression is at it's worst. As soon as the weather started changing though, I began gaining weight (water) and had horrible acne. I felt really drugged and was getting depressed from the Lithium. Every time that I would try to go off of it, I would relapse into my cycle (one time mania the next depression). My doctor finally prescribed me Geodon to get off of it and I've been off of Lithium for over a month now. My face has finally cleared up and the weight is coming off. We have decided to try something else this winter for my depression. Be very careful when you try to go off of it and always have a back up plan with your pdoc.

I've been on 300 mg's of Lamcital since last December. Great drug, really helps my mania get under control. Lithium wasn't cutting it for me with my depression, in fact the side effects were making me even more depressed. My pdoc decided to try out Geodon (at 100 mg's). In the most part, it has been great. I feel alive and like myself again for the first time in years. But...
I wonder if making me so stable has also given my mind way to much time to over- analyze what I see and do. I see things out of the corner of my eye all of the time. I had something appear right in front of me the other day. I can no longer sleep past seven in the morning. And I have three facial twitches: my lower lip, the arc in my left eyebrow and the very top of my forehead where the first of my hair follicles start on my widow's peak. Those drive me nuts.
I am also on 40 mg's of Propranolol (Anderall) and Cytomel for my thyroid. For having such a severe case of BP, it's nice to be on so few medications. Geodon has been a lifesaver and has given me back my creativity and my marriage. I'll take seeing things and facial twitches any day for those.

I'm trying to wean myself off Geodon and I had a minor, panic attack,. My doctor won't help me because she said I need to see a psychiatrist but I can't afford to see one. Does anyone know how long the side effect last when you get off Geodon. I am a single parent and have a job I need to function at so any advice will help. I have ,anxiety, all the time the doc had to prescribe some anti-anxiety medicine which I never had anxiety like that before. My symptoms on the medication is sleeplessness, restlessness, loss of appetite, can quit moving, racing thoughts, depression.

Hi all. My DH has been taking Geodon for 5 months for "delusion - other". The docs don't feel he's bi-polar or schizophrenic. He started up on 20mg and was taken all the way up to 160mg at night until he got ridiculously drowsy on this drug from that dose. He was having issues getting up in the morning (even after 9 1/2+ hours of sleep the night before) and was getting scared of driving to work as out of it as he'd be. The doc took him down to 120mg and it was still bad. So, then they dropped him down to 80mg and he started experiencing severe anxiety. He said he felt like his chest was closing in on him. So, now he's on 100mg and still tired, but not as bad.

Don't get me wrong.. if this was the only issue, I'd be fine with it. The Geodon was a godsend, at first. It really made his delusion dissipate (he wanted to run off and preach the word of God on street corners) and he was able to go back to working 8-hour days after a few months.

But now that he's gotten past that (he's had this once before, 6 years ago, and they had him on risperdal and depakote until the delusion was gone and then took him off of everything completely) he is BEYOND depressed. He has no history whatsoever of depression and has never felt this way before.Our family has never seen him like this. It's increasingly interfering with our relationship, as he just stares at me blankly if I happen to get upset about anything. He's just completely dead inside and feeling worthless. He can't even have an emotional conversation with me anymore and he used to be the most attentive, wonderful husband and friend he could ever be before he got on Geodon.

He also has zero interest in sex. I mean, he can go through it just fine, but he just doesn't want it on his own. And that's depressing for me!!

All in all, I want him off this drug as it seems that, once it did its job, it's eating away at his cognitive and emotional sides. He has a hard time reasoning and, of course, then ends up getting depressed because he feels worthless at his job. I just don't get it.

My question is: if he should happen to be bi-polar ( I mean, if the docs have all gotten it wrong) and he's going through a depressive phase, shouldn't the Geodon be helping? He just seems to get more and more depressed as gets further and further away from being delusional.

We're going to the doc on Thursday and I'm going to tell him that I want DH off this med.. no matter what he thinks. We just can't keep going through this crud anymore. I'd appreciate any feedback/advice/empathy you all can give.

I just miss my husband and I feel like this drug is running him into the ground and wrecking our marriage. :(

I've been taking trileptal for a only a couple of days, but I've had an immediate onset of night terrors in addition to having constant joint pain. I've noticed that these are commonly listed side effects.

From reading the posted comments, I noticed that many people reported experiencing losing sensation in their tongue. After taking geodon for five years, I have started experiencing something similar in that I lose feeling in my tongue, but it also appears to swell or otherwise make it difficult or impossible to breathe.

I've taken cogentin (sp?) to help with this, but it hasn't really made a difference. The numb tongue and inability to breathe seem to be brought on by anxiety and although are similar to anxiety attacks, tend to be a little scarier as my tongue literally blocks off my esophogus (sp) making it (sometimes) impossible to breathe.

I started taking trileptal to eventually be weened off the geodon as not being able to breathe isn't really an option. Can somebody p.m. or post a reply to let me know whether the loss of sensation in their tongue is just that, or if it is accompanied by trouble breathing?

Thanks!

my friend has been on geodon for about 3 years and is experiencing some very strange things! She gets cramps, like seizures in her legs and can't walk when this happens. Her doctor says there is nothing wrong. She gets neck and leg twitching and recently, the leg things have come with shortness of breath. Does anyone know anything about these side effects?Please reply! Thank you.

I have been on geodon for about one year. My dosage have been changed too many times to count. I am presently taking geodon 60mg, lamictal 200mg and lunesta at bedtime. On some nights, I am unable to sleep and I have to get up at 430 am. I am very depressed and I feel that nobody understands what I am going through. I don't know which of my meds are causing which side effects, but I need a change. I am 5ft 7in tall and I now weigh 118# (one year ago I weighed 142#).

I honestly do not like taking Geodon. It can have negative effects on your heart. However I have been taking Geodon for at least six months now.

If I miss just one dose I start to feel extreme withdrawal. My withdrawal side effects are blurred vision, nausea, headache, and weakness.

And I've never had withdrawal from a medicine before. But for some reason it's really bad with Geodon.

I'm going to ask me Doctor about this.

Hi All,
I am very concerned about the effects of Geodon. My 12 year old daughter is on it has been on it for some time and now is having speech problems. When she talks its as if she has what I call a"Mush Mouth" you can barley understand her and it's almost like a whisper talk. Has anyone else experienced this? Please I am in need of any input. Thanks,Annette from Michigan

Ten years on zyprexa and seventy pounds gained. Decided diabetes risk too high, tried to change to Geodon, horrible. Zyprexa has done me great good (no delusions, less paranoia, out of silent stupor) but after ten years I feel maybe my life and skills have progressed to point that I don't need it. Tried to go off it before but terrible physical side effects, ready to try again.
Think my very bad anxiety disorder is driving all other symptoms (including psychosis!) so will try antianxiety meds and then off to meditation. Ultimate goal: no meds.

I have been on 40 mg Geodon for over 6 months, and I stay like I am in the clouds and my legs and hands will shake ,bad anxiety,I don't want to go out and do anything.I want to get off this drug against my docs orders , does anyone have any information on withdrawals from the Geodon?and how do you tapper yourself off it . email me *** thank you Melissa

update on Geodon-
Last week I wrote a raving review on Geodon, this week, not so good... I have lost a total of 11 lbs. in 9 days which should make me feel great, right? Nope! Because I went straight from feel good to full fledged mania (spent $300+ worth of nothing on eBay) to wading in mud depression and borderline psychotic. My husband wants me to "call the doctor and get back on the Seroquel!" I'm still trying to stick it out. The nausea is coming and going vs. staying that way all day but I'm still running (feels like crawling) back and forth to the bathroom. So- the ultimate question- to be fat and lazy, 'out of it' and with no life (including sex life) on Seroquel? or be skinny, sick and totally bipolar on Geodon? Yesterday at work, (I am a personal care assistant) I watched myself pour pepper in the pot of boiling water when I wanted salt, attempted to dry dishes with a wet dish rag, on the way home I was repeatedly forcing the windshield wipers to off trying to get them to turn on in a freezing rain storm... My words are jumbled, confused, can't make sense, crying and Belligerent, pistons aren't firing right... we'll see what happens...

So...
The Geodon seemed to make me too drowsy and I felt it was causing my sleep issue. I couldn't wake up in the morning. It was like I was still in REM while trying to wake. I could sleep until 12 noon and then realize I was late for work. Adderall barely seemed to help anymore.
After swearing off medications forever, I finally hit rock bottom realizing that my BiPolar had gotten the best of me. A DUI, WAY BAD CREDIT...I dug my self a hole of DEBT! My compulsive EVERYTHING had dug me a hole that thank God my Mother is still willing, after 22 years, is willing to help pull me out.
On my own, no psychiatrist involved, with my samples of Geodon and a prescription of Adderall provided by my primary care physician...I decided to go back on medication and so far...a week into it, I have noticed a significant difference...and so has others. Yes, I still might not want to wake up in the morning, but I am able to effectively work and actually somewhat enjoy doing it. I feel like I want to do things where as before...I just wanted to sleep or lay on the couch watching TV. I want to have a future and I want to better myself, where as before I wanted nothing but another drink and some pills. I feel that my quality of life has already improved and I hope with seeing my new psychiatrist on Tuesday, he might better my therapy.

Here is my current problem before asking my doctor.... hadn't taken any adderall for days. I took the Geodon at night, 60mg one day and 80mg the next thinking it might help with my sleep but it didn't do a thing. I Then the next day I took adderall around 7AM and 80mg of Geodon about 9PM and I couldn't keep my eyes open about 1-2 hours after taking the Geodon and I over-slept that morning and didn't wake up until after 10:30am when I am suppose to be at work at 9:00am.

Is it common for the extreme drowsiness to occur with the combination of Adderall in the morning and Geodon at night? I know before when I took both never missing either one, I was always extremely drowsy and that's one of the reasons I stopped taking meds. But after experiencing Geodon without adderall, I am wondering if the TWO don't mix well.

PLEASE HELP.

I've only been on Geodon for three weeks and I have had nightmares so bad I'm afraid to go back to sleep. I even had a nightmare so bad that I couldn't snap myself out of it even after I woke up. I had to be sedated finally

originally posted to Queenie30
(also should mention that in addition to the Geodon, I take Lamictal and Wellbutrin)
I have been on Geodon for just under a week and have already lost 5 lbs! I was on Seroquel, which I loved and depended on for over a year, but could no longer stand by and watch the needle on the scale get higher and higher... 50 lbs total. Talk about depression. The Seroquel was previously the only thing that worked to halt my mania and put me to bed. Since the switch from (50 mg) Seroquel to (20 mg) Geodon I feel all around better than I have in years! I felt an improvement in mood almost immediately. I am clear headed, awake, smiling and laughing, have energy, and my previously (insatiable!) appetite is clearly suppressed. I have a natural nervous/anxious/self-conscious disposition which I attribute to my personality- in addition to the BP, all of my life which limited my eating, but in a healthy way- I was not underweight/overweight. (The Seroquel turned me into a lazy, careless cookie monster to say the least.) I have gone from sleeping 12 hrs a night (and still feeling exhausted) to sleeping 6 hrs a night and waking up feeling well rested, refreshed, and actually wanting to wake up! (That says a lot, I haven't felt like I wanted to wake up since I was a kid and I'm almost 30...) The not-so-fun part- I am extremely nauseous with diarrhea. I have called out of work the last 2 days because of the constant trips to the bathroom and vomiting. I really hope this part ends soon because I want to be able to tolerate this drug and not have to go back to the seroquel. I was in such a fog w/ the Seroquel that I did not see the true zombie effect it has had on me for over a year. I completely stopped doing the things that I loved and enjoyed- including using my creativity and intelligence. I feel 'alive' again on Geodon. I have felt myself when triggered, mind racing into mania which does have me on guard. I stayed awake in bed the first 2 nights til' at least 3am unable to stop the thought train/obsessing about something stupid my husband did 6 years ago :-) This is the part however, I want to learn to control on my own without meds which I why I am aggressively seeking therapy. Though, when my mind is racing/obsessing the geodon does seem to give me that strong sense of reality/insight that what I am doing is not normal or healthy, whereas before, I'd just be extremely angry and blame my husband or whoever 'wronged me' for my obsessing/anger/rage. Now I have a clear sense that I am (or should be) in control of myself/thoughts and feelings. I need to work on that missing link between obsessing about something I can not control or change, and reality- what is healthy for me. A med can not do this for you.
Hope this makes sense! Good Luck :-)

I forgot to mention this site:
http://www.askapatient.com/viewrating.asp?drug=20825&name=GEODON

You can read patient reviews on this or any drug and submit your own. I must admit, the page on Geodon is quite scary, but since my experiences have been mostly all good, I am staying extremely hopeful :-)

Geodon - Weight Loss, Mania Anyone?
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I've been on Geodon for 5 wx & have lost 15 #'s. I usually weigh 130, now 115. looking anorexic, but my depression is a lot better now, I'm happy, first time in ovr a yr. nothing else could break the barrier except the Geodon, but it makes me manic, on top of already being manic…can't sleep. as I was about to crash & burn (thu), before I went running to the ER, i found my stash of 4 mg Risperdal that I just weened myself off of 3 mos ago, due to the long term side effects I was having (td, slurring, twitching, sexual dysfunction...). it took the edge off, til I can talk to the pdoc on tue.

like many of you, i’ve tried everything. i’m at my wit’s end. This bizarre combo seems to work for me. It puts a muzzle on the mania, allowing me a more hypomanic state where I can function & still feel really happy. although I’m going to try 40 vs 60 mg geodon. & try going down to 2 mg risperdal or try another a/p. adding the risperdal allowed me to sleep, along w/the lorazepam. but, I prefer not to be on risperdal

So, as of now…i'm on 60 mg geodon, 675 mg lithium, 4 mg risperdal & 1 mg lorazepam X 2/day.

has anyone else had this experience? Especially w/the mania & weight loss?

PLZ HELP! QUEENIE

I take 5 diff. drugs and am trying to figure out which side effect is associated with which drug. I have a really shotty memory now where I have lost perception of time. I thought I had spoken to my friend two weeks ago and I spoke to her two days ago. I read the news all day at work and can't remember any of it. This could be from the Ativan, Ambien, Lamictal or Provigil that I am also taking, but I have no idea which or if its the combo of a few. I am on all of these drugs because i have Bipolar 1 disorder. I take 160 mg of Geodon at night. Also, horrible facial paresthesia and insomnia. Does anyone know if this drug causes memory loss?? Thanks

I take 5 diff. drugs and am trying to figure out which side effect is associated with which drug. I have a really shotty memory now where I have lost perception of time. I thought I had spoken to my friend two weeks ago and I spoke to her two days ago. I read the news all day at work and can't remember any of it. This could be from the Ativan, Ambien, Geodon or Provigil that I am also taking, but I have no idea which or if its the combo of a few. I am on all of these drugs because i have Bipolar 1 disorder. I take 400 mg of Lamictal at night. Any insights? Thanks.

I'm taking 400 mg of Provigil, 200 in the morn and 200 in the afternoon. What are the side effects? I take five diff. drugs and am trying to figure out what med. is causing what in my body. Also is this drug safe to take for a long time? I am taking it for Bipolar 1 disorder because my other drugs make me groggy. I get facial paresthesia (pins and needles, skin energy feeling) as the day wears on. does anyone experience this from Provigil? I think it might be from Geodon, but i want to be clear. Thanks.